Air deflector for vacuum cleaners



Sept. 5, 1961 M. E. BELICKA ET AL 2,998,615

AIR DEFLECTQR FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 1, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS M10140 [1. E. BEL 1cm? HOE/ME Wail/N096! .9L 1 [N P 00 w:

YTIEIR ATTORNEYv Sept. 5, 1961 M. E. BELICKA ET AL 2,998,615

AIR DEFLECTOR FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. l, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN T 0R5 MIN-Inn E. 551 mm; Hozncr WBzu/vmu IQLLEN 1 ('0 MIL TIEYR ATTORNEY AIR DEFLECTOR FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Michael E. Belicka, Greenwich, Horace W. Brundage,

Stamford, and Allen P. Cawl, New Canaan, Conn assignors to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich,

Conn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 777,482 6 Claims. (Cl.15-327) Our invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the enclosed bag type from which the air is exhausted through an oulet opening. It is desirable that a hose may be connected to such an opening and hence the opening is preferably positioned with its axis disposed horizontally so that the hose may extend therefrom in a generally horizontal direction. At the same time, the air exhausted through the outlet opening, when the hose is not attached thereto, should not impringe against the floor on which the cleaner is supported in order that dirt and dust thereon may not be stirred up into the atmosphere. Heretofore, vanes or louvers have been provided in the exhaust opening for directing the air upwardly and away from the floor, but it has been necessary to make these vanes or louvers displaceable in order to permit the connection of a hose, but such an arrangement is complicated and adds to the expense of'the vacuum cleaner.

In accordance with our invention we have provided a suitable air deflector in the exhaust opening for directing the air upwardly and away from the surface on which the cleaner is supported, which deflector does not interfere with the connection of a hose and hence does not have to be displaceably mounted.

Further objects and advantages of our invention Will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings on which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section on the line 11 of FIG. 2, of a vacuum cleaner embodying our invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the air deflector shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the figures, reference character designates generally an elongated housing provided with casters or wheels 12 or 14 for supporting it in a substantially horizontal position on a surface to be cleaned. The left end, as viewed in FIG. 1, of the casing 10 is provided with a cover member '16 having a centrally located inlet opening 18 to whicha suction hose may be connected. The cover 16 may be opened for the insertion and removal of the usual dust bag, which occupies the space within the casing '10 at this end thereof.

Mounted in the opposite end of the casing is an electric motor 20 which drives a fan 22 having an inlet opening 24. This end of the casing is provided with a housing 26 having a centrally located opening 28.

Either permanently or removably secured to the housing 26 is a casing 30 having a substantially axially extending passage, the inner end of which communicates with the opening 28. This passage is formed by a tubular member 32 which is shown as being integral with the rear portion of the casing 30. Rota-tably mounted in the annular space between the tubular member 32 and the rest of the casing 30 is a reel member 34 on which may be wound an electric cord 36. A spiral spring 38 has its outer end connected to a flange 40 fixed to the reel, while its inner end is anchored to a cylindrical member 42 states Patent which is secured to or integral with the casing 30. Asis usual with cord reels, when the cord is pulled out it rotates the reel 34 so as to Wind up the spring 38, the latter thus tending to rewind the cord. Suitable brushes 44 carried by the casing and cooperating with slip rings on the reel are provided for transmitting current from the cord 36 to a cord 46 leading to the motor 20.

Reference character 50 designates a connector member which is secured to one end of a flexible hose. The connector 50 may be received within the outer end of the outlet passage formed by the cylindrical member 32. The details of this connector are not illustrated as they form no part of the present invention, but they may be as shown in Lofgren Patent No. 2,102,802 of December 21, 1937.

Disposed within the outlet passage is a deflector member designated generally by refernce character 52 and which is shown more in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. This member includes a cylindrical sleeve portion 54- which forms a liner for the inner part of the outlet passage. An outwardly flared flange 56 is secured to the inner end of portion 54 and contacts the outer surface of housing 26 around the opening 28. From the opposite end of cylindrical portion 54 a deflecting hood member extends first in a direction radially inwardly, as is shown at 58, and thence substantially parallel to the axis of the cylindrical part 54-, which is also the axis of the exhaust passage, as is shown at 60. The portion 60 of the hood is arcuate and is substantially concentric with the passage.

The member 52 is so positioned in the exhaust passage that the part 58 extends downwardly from the upper surface of the passage at a point about midway between the inner and outer ends thereof. This downward ex tent is sufficient so as to provide a clearance space between the part 60 and the member 32 large enough to accommodate the inner end of the connector 50, as is shown in FIG. 1. a

In the normal operation of the vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning purposes, the connector 50 is connected to the inlet opening 18, the opposite end of the flexible hose being connected to a suitable cleaning nozzle. The air is drawn in by operation of the fan 22 and the entrained dirt is separated in the usual manner in the dust bag contained in the left end of the casing 10. The clean air passes into the fan through the inlet 24 and thence through the motor 20 for cooling the latter and then is discharged into the space within the casing 10 to the right of the motor, as viewed in FIG. 1. From here the air passes through an opening 62 in an inner wall of the housing 26 and is discharged through the opening 28 into the outlet passage formed by the cylindrical wall 32.

Under these conditions the hose connector 50 is not connected to this outlet opening, the air passing therethrough being discharged directly to atmosphere. As previously stated, it is desirable to direct this air away from the surface on which the cleaner is supported. The presence of the parts 58 and 60 forming the deflecting hood serves to cause the air to flow in an upward direction as it leaves the outer end of the outlet passage. It might seem as though positioning this hood in the upper part of the passage would have just the opposite effect, that is that it would direct the air downwardly towards the floor or other surface. However, tests have shown that the hood does in fact direct the air to flow in the desired upward direction as it passes out of the passage to atmosphere.

When it is desired to use the vacuum cleaner for blowing purposes, the host connector may be inserted in the outlet opening in the manner illustrated in 'FIG. 1 with 3 out interference from the air deflector and hence without requiring displacement thereof.

While we have shown and described one more or less specific embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for the purposes of illustration only and that the scope of our invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined from the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing, means for producing flow of air through said casing, means for supporting said casing on a substantially horizontal surface, means forming a tubular exhaust passage from said casing extending substantially parallel to said surface and opening to the atmosphere, and air deflecting means within said passage comprising a hood member extending downwardly from the upper inner surface of said passage and thence substantially parallel to the axis of the passage towards the outer end thereof and terminating inwardly from said outer end, the peripheral extent of said hood member being limited to within the top 180 of the periphery of said passage.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing, means for producing flow of air through said casing, means for supporting said casing on a substantially horizontal surface, means forming a cylindrical exhaust passage from said casing having its axis extending substantially parallel to said surface and opening to the atmosphere, and air deflecting means within said passage comprising a hood member extending downwardly from the upper inner surface of said passage and thence substantially parallel to said axis and towards the outer end of said passage, the peripheral extent of said hood member being limited to within the top 180 of the periphery of said passage, and the parallel portion of said member being arcuate and concentric with said passage and terminating inwardly from said outer end.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing, means for producing flow of air through said casing, means for supporting said casing on a substantially horizontal surface, means forming a cylindrical exhaust passage from said casing having its axis extending substantially parallel to said surface and opening to the atmosphere, and air deflecting means Within said passage comprising a mem ber having a hollow cylindrical part lining a portion of said passage adjacent to the inner end of the latter and a hood member extending downwardly from the upper outer end of said cylindrical part and thence substantial- 1y parallel to the axis of the passageway towards the outer end thereof and terminating inwardly from said outer end, the peripheral extent of said hood member being limited to within the top 180 of the periphery of said hollow cylindrical part.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing, means for producing flow of air through said casing, means for supporting said casing on a substantially horizontal surface, means forming a cylindrical exhaust passage from said casing having its axis extending substantially parallel to said surface and opening to the atmosphere, and air deflecting means within said passage comprising a member having a hollow cylindrical part lining a portion of said passage adjacent to the inner end of the latter and a hood member extending downwardly from the upper outer end of said cylindrical part and thence substantially parallel to the axis of the passageway towards the outer end thereof and terminating inwardly from said outer end, the peripheral extent of said hood member being limited to within the top of the periphery of said hollow cylindrical part, and the parallel portion of said hood member being arcuate and concentric with said passage.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing, means for producing fiow of air through said casing, means for supporting said casing on a substantially horizontal surface, means forming an exhaust passage from said casing extending substantially parallel to said surface, a hose, a hollow connector member having a wall secured to one end of said hose and removably insertable into the outer end of said passage, and air deflecting means within said passage comprising a hood member extending downwardly from the upper inner surface of said passage and thence substantially parallel to the axis of the passage towards the outer end thereof and terminating inwardly from said outer end a distance less than the extent of said connector into said passage, the peripheral extent of said hood member being limited to within the top 180 of the periphery of said passage, and the parallel portion of said hood member being spaced downwardly from said upper inner surface sutficiently to accommodate the wall of said connector therebetween.

6. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing, means for producing flow of air through said casing, means for supporting said casing on a substantially horizontal surface, means forming a cylindrical exhaust passage from said casing having its axis extending substantially parallel to said surface, a hose, a hollow connector member having an annular wall secured to one end of said hose and re movably insertable into the outer end of said passage, and air deflecting means within said passage comprising a hood member extending downwardly from the upper inner surface of said passage and thence substantially parallel to said axis towards the outer end of said passage and terminating inwardly from said outer end a distance less than the extent of said connector into said passage, the peripheral extent of said hood member being limited to within the top 180 of the periphery of said passage, and the parallel portion of said hood member being arcuate and concentric with said passage and spaced from said upper inner surface sufliciently to accommodate the annular Wall of said connector therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,679,226 Mitro July 31, 1928 1,974,124 Riebel Sept. 18, 1934 2,007,631 Bieth July 9, 1935 2,788,936 Kemnitz Apr. 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 99,450 Sweden July 23, 1940 370,824 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1932 

